Wednesday, January 30, 2008

A wise child once said....

Gunnar reminds me so much of my brother Dana. Just in the way he thinks, he's often in his own world (no offense D but it is common knowledge you too lived your wee life this way). He is brilliant and sometimes entirely lacking in common sense (Gunnar that is:)! Yesterday his teacher talked to me after I picked him up from preschool and shared this story. Apparently, in chapel the lead teacher was sharing with all the kids how Jesus was much like them. She went to great lengths describing his humanity. That he too was a little boy once. That he played games, told stories and even got "boo, boos" just like you! The room was quiet and Gunnar said with great conviction "Yes, but he could HEAL HIMSELF!"
aaaahhhh true Gunnar, very true!

Friday, January 25, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....


MIMI, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MIMI
HAPPY BBBBBIIIRRRRRRTTTTTHHHHHDAY TO MIMI
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!

Happy Birthday mom, mimi!! We celebrate you today January 26th and say Hip Hip Hooraay!
Your kids and grandkids love you!!!
(even though Chris looks a little fraught in this picture he's really saying....I LOVE YOU MOM!)

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

...in the eye of the beholder"


Parenting just isn't easy. And in today's world it's such a strange mix of "everything is geared towards kids and nothing is! Audra had both Monday and Tuesday off from school. This was a good thing except we had rain and cold the entire four days she was off! ugh! My kids live to play first in the backyard, then in the front! So they actually used their imaginations to their finest making tracks for Gunnar's new matchbox cars, (using mom's aerobic step that has been collecting dust), they piled every single pillow in the middle of the family room and made up a game Gunnar proudly named "Try and knock me over!" Now are you wondering why we have so many injuries? Well I finally had to go to the grocery store (I'd put it off for FAR too long!) So I packed up the hood and headed to the store with kid size carts for the big two to push. In the rain!!! NO CARTS!! They decided for the second best which was to carry their own baskets, this meant Anders had to be strapped in to the cart since he had fallen out of a cart at this store once before so I think we were on probation! My children managed to help me shop for an hour with no screaming (apart from Gunnar's enthusiasm when he sees something he thinks is swell). And do you know I don't think I've ever gotten so many dirty looks!!!!!!!!!! Literally it was as though people were saying with their eyes....how dare you bring those three children into this store where we're shopping? "Get out of my way", "Watch it kid", even maybe some looks of pity....I thought ARE YOU KIDDING ME!! MY KIDS ARE DOING GREAT!!!!!!! GET OUT OF MY WAY you late afternoon, need another cup of coffee, hate my job, just punched out, need to exercise, a little pale, get out of the frozen section MISTER!
I thought I might use my Anders trick and start singing hymns to really tick 'em off! But alas we checked out......loaded the car in the rain and made it home to make Taco Soup!

Monday, January 14, 2008

A Great Weather Weekend....

After the busyness of the Holidays it's sometimes just nice to have a low key weekend. We woke up to beautiful weather and decided to have a picnic at the park. Uncle Lee surprised us with bringing his canoe and the rest is history! A great weather weekend at the park!

Tell me that isn't a sight those two brothers ready for a trip in the canoe with their dad!
Here the boys started there sunny day ride in the canoe. Word has it Anders was up & down but Gunnar is ready for a trip down the bayou in search of alligators!
There they are in the very middle of the picture. This was Chris, Audra, Uncle Lee, Katherine &Lucy! They parked the canoe other side and went on an "adventure" looking for and finding an armadillo!

Friday, January 11, 2008

Winter Wonderland


Now that we are recuperating from broken foreheads and cut eyes.....back to the winter pictures. I thought this picture of Gunnar looked pretend....

Monday, January 7, 2008

Boys...


Did I mention we have boys? Oh yes....our first trip to the ER w/ Anders. Three hours, four shots, six stiches later and we're home. He fell in the tub tonight (pulling a stunt!) and hit his eye on the edge of the tub. The nurse said.... "He's going to have a black eye tomorrow!" I said glibbly "Oh his 4 year old brother just got over two of his own black eyes!!" She stopped laughing..... She said a little more seriously. "Hmmm they might be checking in to your family??" Heee hee......I shared too much information!!!!!!!!!


PS: WE owe Uncle Lee a big thank you. He quickly came over, abandoned his plans, Colette was glad to help and we could not have gone so quickly or with such ease had it not been for our family!! THANK YOU!

Saturday, January 5, 2008

A Gallery of Christmas Photos....







Lots of snow and good memories!!!!!

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Grandpa and his chicks....


Grandpa wasted no time getting the Carlson kids on the snowmobile. The first day there was leftover snow and every day after we had a fresh coat of beatiful fluffy snow!

Merry Christmas from the Carlsons!

We are back in our Texas beds after a week in Minnesota. Our trip to MN proved to be scary and eventful. We found ourselves in the middle of the scary snowstorm last weekend in Kansas. What should have taken us 12 hours the first day took us 18. Chris drove the whole way and 11 hours that day he drove in blizzard, white out conditions. He drove like a pro and we made it to Kansas. WE attempted to stop earlier but NO ROOM IN THE INN! Or any Inn for that matter! We made it to the farm the next day and I took this picture in Southern MN driving along I90. I thought it beautifully showed MN at Christmas!! More pictures to come....